Mama Don't Allow
"Mama Don't Allow" is Episode 5 in Season 4. It originally aired on June 27, 1986. Synopsis The episode begins with LeVar visiting the swamplands of New Orleans. Swamps have been known for being mysterious and spooky. He thinks the one he's visiting doesn't seem too dangerous. Mystery music plays in the background as he explores the mysteries of the swamp. He meets an alligator named Jumper. With or without the scary mystery music in swamps, alligators can be extremely dangerous if you don't know how to respect them. An alligator expert, Heather Burdin, shows LeVar one up close. They have a natural fear of humans. LeVar claims he's never been close to one before. One's skin is as smooth as a snake's. They're both reptiles. Alligators spend most of their life in water, knowing they're excellent swimmers. One's jaws are the most dangerous part you shouldn't think about getting too near. They have up to 60 teeth. When they lose them, they keep on getting new ones just like sharks. A full-grown male can grow to 18 feet long and weigh up to at least 1,000 pounds. They and their crocodile cousins are resemblent to dinosaurs. Heather asks LeVar if he can take care of Jumper for a while, and he gets a little nervous. It can be easy to see why alligators and crocodiles remind you of dinosaurs, even when you add scary movie music. Music has a big influence on how we see things. LeVar shows the viewers the funny side of Jumper provided with some silly music. In the title book, we see how it can charm lots of people. LeVar takes the viewers behind the scenes of how Fred Newman provided all the sounds, voices, and music for the title book. He is a talented sound effects artist who can make wonderful sounds using his mouth and voice. He grew up in the Southern United States where storytellers told great ones using sounds. Being a child-at-heart, he has learned how to use sound effects for his storytelling. One of the greatest things about that is improvisation. You make up the sounds as you go along. It takes a lot of people to put together the sounds and music for the story, and it also takes a talented person like Fred to provide them. The secret to providing the sounds for a story is listening to how each individual sound is made. When Fred is in the recording studio listening to his recorded sounds, it's like listening to and playing with a whole orchestra with nothing but his own voice. He has even written a book that shows you how to make over 70 different sounds with your mouth so you can tell your own stories using them. It is called Mouth Sounds. One of the many sounds LeVar loves to hear while on the Mississippi River is the horn on a riverboat called the Creole Queen. Riverboats have showcased everything from music to theater to dance and even parties. There are many "do" and "don't" signs on them for people's safety. In the title book, the main character's parents wouldn't allow him to play his saxophone indoors. LeVar asks the viewers what theirs wouldn't allow them to do. Kids share what theirs wouldn't allow. One thing LeVar's mother always allowed him to do was to read good books. One of the greatest sounds to listen to on a riverboat is saxophone music. LeVar introduces the viewers to Earl Turbinton, a famous local jazz musician. He is practicing for a party he'll be playing at on the riverboat that night. He has been playing jazz for over 30 years, and he loves to practice on his sax for hours. You can express your emotions through music by playing it on your instrument as well as communicating with others. As LeVar gets into the New Orleans jazz music at the party that night, he tells the viewers that music is such a powerful way of expressing yourself. There are many kinds of genres of music to listen to, so keep on listening to it and discover how it can make a difference in your life. Review Books *Miranda *Alligator Shoes *Apartment 3 Highlighted Book *Mouth Sounds Category:Season 4 Category:Episodes